The Bet
by DeannaTargarys
Summary: Will and Jem make a bet to see which one of them can make Tessa fall for them. She quickly realizes their plan, but how will she chose between the two boys? Contains lemons.
1. Chapter 1 The Parameters of The Bet

Chapter 1

James Carstairs sat perched on the edge of the window seat in his bedroom, replacing a string on his violin. He had few candles lit as the moon was bright and full. It shone directly outside his window. He heard someone coming down the hall, and wondered for a moment if it could possibly be Tessa again, coming to his room for some more midnight music…

These thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud outside, and someone calling out "By the Angel! When did this plant stand get put here?" James smiled as he recognized the voice of Will in this outburst. The door soon swung open to reveal his friend and _parabati_, disheveled and a little drunk perhaps but standing.

"Jem—my good man! Did you know there is a plant stand outside of your room now? Nearly killed me!" Will greeted him.

Jem let out a small laugh. "It's been there over a month. Sophie put it there. Said it brightened up the hallway."

Will looked perplexed for a moment as he tried to think back one month and remember the plant stand being there. He shook his head and frowned as he had no memory of it being there. "No matter," he said. "Let's say you and I go out for a night on the town. What do you think?"

Jem continued to work on his violin strings. He smiled down at his work, fully aware that a night out with Will meant drunkenness and debauchery. Will sidled up to the window seat and sat down in a heap. "Come on then!" he said. "Put this thing away and come have a night of fun with me!"

Jem looked up at his friend then. He had reached a decent stopping point. He smiled at Will. "All right then, where to?"

Will immediately started listing off possible places for them to visit—bars, brothels, and gambling dens included. Jem listened while carefully putting away his violin. He would finish the work tomorrow and then possibly entice Tessa to come back for another midnight performance.

"Jem…Jem! Are you listening to me?" Will said loudly.

"Hmm…Oh yes—pubs and gambling dens, but no brothels." Jem said coolly.

Will grinned. "Oh, alright. You win. First stop then is Angela's for a drink!" Will said giddily.

Several hours—and several drinks—later, both boys stumbled into a gambling den known as The Dragon's Lair. Will ordered a round of drinks while Jem scoured the floor for a good table to play cards. Once seated, they stayed through several rounds of both drinks and cards. Eventually, the only ones left at the table were Jem, Will, the dealer, and two men who looked like they had been there a long time as well.

Jem looked at Will in between hands. "Did you ever notice," he began a little drunkenly "how beautiful Tessa is? Because _I've_ noticed!" He smiled in a hazy way.

Will raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was rare for Jem to get drunk, and even rarer for him to reveal such a detail. "I did in fact notice this little quirk of hers, yes," Will replied.

Jem stared at Will and narrowed his eyes. "Let's say we make this hand of cards a bit more interesting, eh?"

Will stared back at him and waited for Jem to lay his stakes.

"Whoever wins this hand will be free to woo Tessa as he sees fit…and the loser must not interfere!" Jem finished with a slight hiccup.

Will smiled. "My dear Jem, a hand of cards is not what is needed to decide this. No, in fact we must let Tessa herself decide between us!"

Jem looked at him in a confused manner.

Will continued. "We will each try to…get Tessa to see our charms and see who she chooses!"

Jem slapped his _parabati_ on the back. "Good thinking William! We must let the beautiful lady decide!" He shouted.

The other men at the table looked at the pair oddly. Will smiled and waved at the dealer. "I think we'll sit out the next round." He turned to Jem. "And I think we ought to head home to get to bed." Jem began reaching for his coat. Will smiled at him. "You'll need your rest if you want to 'woo' Tessa as you claim!"


	2. Chapter 2 Baking with Jem

Chapter 2

The next day, Jem had a pounding headache from the previous nights' amusements. He did not, however, forget about the bet exchanged between himself and Will. After some much needed coffee—black and drunk in hearty gulps—Jem began to feel much better indeed. Will smiled at him from across the dining table as he saw his _parabati _narrow his eyes in relief from his headache.

Tessa's appearance in the dining room made both boys sit up a little straighter. Will glanced at Jem before commenting, "That is a lovely new dress on you Tessa."

Tessa glanced warily at Will—it wasn't like him to begin the day with a compliment for her. "Thank you, Will…" she said hesitantly.

As she took her seat, Will winked at Jem who glared back. After Tessa settled in her seat, Jem smiled brightly at her. "What are your plans today, Tessa?"

She smiled back at Jem, more familiar with his kind attention. "I was thinking of trying to bake a cake for Charlotte's birthday. Would you care to help?" she asked hopefully.

Jem's smile enlarged. "Of course! Let's begin after breakfast. I don't know much about baking so we may have to spend all day trying to get this right." He smirked at Will who was scowling.

Tessa had asked Sophie and Bridget leave to use the kitchen to attempt the cake baking on their own. She had a little experience cooking small things when she had lived with her aunt in New York. Making a cake didn't seem too bad after she had read through a recipe.

While Tessa began gathering the ingredients on the large wooden countertop in the middle of the kitchen, Jem rolled up his sleeves and sought out aprons for them both to wear. "Aha!" he called when he had located them.

He handed one to Tessa, who slipped the white sheet over her head. She was just starting to attempt tying the back knot when Jem's quick fingers took the work from her. "Let me help you with that," he said smoothly. Tessa blushed a little as she felt Jem's presence behind her. When he finished, he touched her slightly on the hip. "All finished."

"Let me help with yours!" Tessa said suddenly, not wanting Jem to see the blush in her cheeks. Jem's eyebrows went up in surprise, and he turned around with a small smile. Tessa had to take a deep breath as she reached for the strings of Jem's apron. _Really!_ she thought, _I am being ridiculous. This is Jem I'm working with and I'm sure he has nothing but pure intentions. The site of his bare forearms is seriously tempting my intentions though…_

"Alright," she said when she was done tying the knot and felt like the color in her cheeks had subsided substantially. "Let's get to work trying to make this cake."

As Jem worked on mixing all of the batter ingredients in a bowl, Tessa attempted to make the chocolate icing for the cake. Their morning passed by pleasantly, with quiet chatter and focus on getting the recipe just right. Tessa took a break from her stirring as the chocolate appeared to have the desired consistency. She turned to see Jem's progress and giggled. His brow was furrowed in an endearing way as he concentrated on mixing his ingredients. But what really got to Tessa were the smudges of white powder on his face and hair. The flour stood out even against his pale skin and light hair. He looked up at her in surprise at the sound of her laugh.

"What?" he asked timidly. "Does the batter look all wrong?"

Tessa took a step toward him, grabbing a dish towel. She took the bowl in her hands and guided it to the counter. She glanced at the bowl's contents, then back at Jem's speckled face. "No, the batter looks alright. But it appears you may have been a little less careful with the flour and your face." She giggled again.

Jem's face relaxed from its worried features and he smiled at Tessa in a dizzying way. "Let me help you," she laughed again. Tessa raised the dishcloth and began to whisk some of the powder away from his hair, but it simply fell onto his face which made Tessa laugh again. Jem's eyes widened.

"It's not fair that I look a fool, while you are spotless!" he cried and dove for the spoon in her bowl of icing. Jem placed a small dab of chocolate on Tessa's cheek and they both laughed again. He made to put another dab on her face, but Tessa gave a small shriek and began to run around the wooden countertop. Jem's face lit up. He gave chase to her and quickly caught her skirts. Pushing her against the counter as he caught her, he gave a quick lick to the chocolate on her cheek. Tessa's giggle caught in her throat in surprise. Jem's face was very close to hers, his arm still around her waist in the pose he had caught her.

Slowly Jem put down the icing-covered spoon and lifted his fingers to Tessa's cheek. He pulled the rest of the icing from her face and looked at her with his pale almond-shaped eyes. Before she knew what she was doing, Tessa's mouth closed around Jem's chocolate covered finger. She heard a sharp intake of breath as Jem watched her in fascination.

Tessa moved her tongue over his finger to get all of the chocolate off, while staring into Jem's eyes. As she removed her mouth from his finger, her cheeks began to bloom color. Before she could fully consider her actions though, Jem's mouth was pressed against hers, his body pushing more fully into hers. Startled, her hands flew backwards to rest on the wooden counter. But as the kiss lengthened, she tentatively put her hands on Jem's arms. This seemed to please him as his grip on her waist and hips tightened. With strength that surpassed his fragile frame, Jem smoothly lifted Tessa off the floor and placed her on the countertop. Her hands now came up to touch his hair, running her hands through the soft strands. Jem moaned under her kiss and touch.

Jem's hands began to travel up the front of Tessa's dress. As one hand closed over her right breast, she slid back slightly in surprise, tipping the bowl of batter off the countertop to shatter on the floor. Their kiss broke apart suddenly as both were surprised by the noise.

Tessa blushed fiercely. "Jem…I…." she began.

"No need to apologize Tessa," Jem said swiftly as he hurried over to the mess. "I don't think that was a good batch of batter anyway." He smiled up at her from the floor.

Tessa let out a small laugh and a long breath of air. Clutching the front of her dress, Tessa leapt down from the countertop to retrieve a new bowl. She looked at Jem again and they both let out a small chuckle.


	3. Chapter 3 Into the Library with Will

Chapter 3

A few days after her adventures with Jem in the kitchen, Tessa found herself in the library looking for a new book to read. She circled the large rounded room, head inclined back so that she could scan the titles of the higher shelves.

Seeing a copy of _Wuthering Heights_ on a shelf out of her reach, Tessa looked around the room for something to use as a ladder. Seeing a small table that could work, she dragged it beneath the area where the book lived. Tessa had just climbed onto the table and was reaching for the book, when she heard a surprised "Tessa!" behind her.

Startled, her balance started to waiver. Still, she thought she could hold onto the shelf and reach her book. _Just a bit further_…her balance worsened and she could feel herself falling—falling until a pair of strong hands wrapped around her hips and swung her away from the shelf.

Tessa quickly turned as she could guess the source of the voice and hands. Will stood in front of her—very close, _too close_—with his hands still laying on her hips. "Just what do you think you're doing Tessa?" he asked, trying to sound scolding but fighting back a smile playing at his lips.

Tessa blushed and looked down quickly. Then she met his eyes in reproach. "I was trying to retrieve a book before you came in shouting, which nearly made me lose my balance!" she shot back.

"My dear Tessa," said Will taking a step even closer to her. "You should have just fetched someone a bit taller to retrieve a book on the higher shelves. Now what were you looking for?" He finished with a smile that left Tessa dizzy.

"I…um," she tried to clear her head and remember the name of the book she had been trying to reach. "It was _Wuthering Heights_."

"Ah!" said Will. "One of my favorites." His eyes drifting upwards to scan the shelves, but he didn't move away from Tessa. She was positively pushed up against the book shelves, sandwiched between them and Will. His frame towered over hers and she realized that he would be able to reach the book without any problem. She glared at him, resentful of his height. This scowl only lasted a moment though as she was quickly overcome with the beautiful face above her—black hair, scanning blue eyes, and a jawline that begged to be touched.

Will reached just above her head then and pulled the book down from the shelves. "Is this the one then?" he handed it to her with a smile.

Tessa tore her eyes away from his brilliant blue eyes to glance at the cover of the book she was now holding. "Yes," she said breathlessly. "This is the one. Thank you, Will." She began trying to move around Will, but his hands came up on either side of her, pressed against the bookshelf, and keeping her in place.

Tessa's grip on the book tightened, and she felt her face go pink. "Tessa," Will breathed softly. "Don't you think I deserve some sort of thank you for retrieving your book?" His eyes blazed at her.

Tessa's mouth popped open slightly in shock. Will continued, "And you know, I did save you from falling off that table as well…I think some recompense is in order, don't you?"

Tessa knew she should be offended and vandalized by these comments, but Will's eyes were making her have very polar thoughts indeed. She felt her cheeks blush more deeply, torn between annoyance at what Will suggested and mortification if he realized what she really wanted to do in order to thank him.

"Will, I…" Tessa began, trying to sound haughty. "I really don't think…" but her eyes met his and it was obvious that her sense of manners did not match up with her desires.

Will leaned forward until he was directly in front of Tessa's mouth. Their lips were centimeters apart. Tessa forgot to breathe as her eyes started to close. When Will made no move to complete the union of their lips, Tessa closed the gap with her own and began kissing him.

Will's kiss was rougher than Jem's. His tongue met Tessa's in between their mouths and she gasped slightly the first time she felt this. The book dropped from her hands and she began to reach for the front of Will's shirt. His hands grabbed hers, however, and held them firmly against the bookshelf, thus still surrounding and holding her. His body pressed into hers still further and despite the many layers of clothing between them, Tessa could feel the muscles of his legs and stomach as they pushed against her. She longed to touch him, but his hands held hers firmly. She settled for curling her fingers in between his, a gesture which he returned.

As Tessa started to lose herself in the kiss, she also become more forceful in her actions, tilting her head and coming to meet Will's lips in an even faster way. He let out a small moan of pleasure as he could feel Tessa's passion.

Breaking away from the kiss suddenly, Will's eyes went to the ceiling and he said, "By the Angel, wait until I tell Jem about _this_!"

Tessa froze as she looked up at Will. "What did you say?" she asked, suddenly feeling a bit of panic.

Will looked down at her in a daze. "Ah…well you see Tessa…" he began as his mind worked to explain his words.

"Why would you want to tell Jem specifically about this?" Tessa demanded as she eyed him suspiciously.

A voice came from behind them. "Because we had a very silly bet on, that's why."

Will's head spun around and Tessa stood on her toes to look over Will's shoulder. Jem was standing in the library doorway, trying to sound nonchalant but looking a little worried.

"A bet?" Tessa breathed, turning to glare at Will who was doing his best at a charming smile. "Well why don't you two just sit down and tell me all about this _bet_?"


	4. Chapter 4 Tessa Finds Out

Chapter 4

Tessa paced the library, making a path directly in front of a couch which held both Jem and Will. While Will's face was still in an amused grin, Jem was watching Tessa nervously, afraid that she would be angry or disappointed. Every few paces, Tessa looked at the pair of them, about to say something, but then sighing in frustration.

"Look Tessa," Will tried again. "It's not that bad. We had had a few drinks and made a silly bet. Really you should be flattered that we thought of you." He smirked.

Tessa stopped pacing to glare at Will. She was about to say something when Jem interjected, "Tessa, please don't be angry with us. It's just that…well, we both like you and were genuinely interested in which of us you would be interested in. That is, if you would still be interested in either of us after this stunt."

Tessa's eyes softened somewhat when you turned to look at Jem. He continued, "Really we never meant to offend you. It was quite immature of us though and I am apologizing on behalf of both of us."

Will snorted. "I am not apologizing for this! In fact, I want to know Tessa's decision." He turned to look at her. "Well Tessa, which of us was the better kisser?"

Tessa could have screamed, but the looks on their eager faces actually made her emit a brief laugh instead.

She finally spoke, "I cannot believe that the two of you—well, mostly I can't believe that Jem went along with you Will—even had such a conversation. And here I thought that I was having genuine feelings for either of you…"

"Either of us!" Will snorted loudly. "Try both of us Tessa! You can't get out of this so easily. You _did_ in fact kiss two different men in a span of a few days. I think that you like the thought of this bet more than you're letting on." He finished with a smoldering smile.

Tessa felt herself blush. She didn't know what to say. As a lady, she knew that her behavior these past few days was not acceptable. But as a woman, she also recognized that there was not much she could do to resist either of these men.

"Just what I thought," Will said triumphantly. "Now that we've got that out in the open, let's return to the real question at hand. Do you chose myself or Jem?"

Tessa resumed her pacing, though more slowly this time. "I…I don't know." She concluded. Jem and Will exchanged a look. Tessa couldn't bear to look at either in the eyes. "Perhaps," she started. "Perhaps you will need to continue the bet. Continue trying to win me over that is." Will and Jem exchanged another look—Will smiling broadly and Jem in an expression of surprise.

Jem spoke slowly. "We could do that, if it's what you wish Tessa."

Tessa gave them both a teasing smile. "Yes. Let's continue with the experiment and see how things fall."

"Excellent!" cried Will.


	5. Chapter 5 Tessa's First Time

Chapter 5

As the weeks went on, both Will and Jem continued to attempt to win Tessa's affection. Will left poetry under her door and stole quick kisses in dark places. Jem shared more of his violin playing and acted the utmost gentleman towards her.

Tessa's desire for both boys grew exponentially in these weeks. Soon she desired much more than the kisses and over-the-clothes caresses. At night in her bed, Tessa tossed and turned with desire burning inside her. Finally, she got out of bed to walk down to the kitchen for a glass of water, thinking the feelings would fade by the time she got back. However, when she opened her door, she could hear the soft violin playing of Jem coming from the door opposite hers. _Jem is still awake too!_ she thought.

She knocked softly at his door, uncertain where her actions would lead. The playing stopped, and in another moment the door swung open with Jem standing on the other side. "Tessa!" he said in a concerned voice. "Did my playing wake you?"

She smiled at his consideration. "No, no Jem. I couldn't sleep and thought of trying to amuse myself until I could."

Jem's eyes brightened. "Would you like to come in? I generally have trouble falling asleep as well."

She smiled and nodded. Once inside, Jem checked the hallway and closed his bedroom door. Tessa suddenly felt very aware that she was in Jem's bedroom and that she had on little else besides a nightgown and thin robe. Although she had been in Jem's room before, their recent shared intimacy made her nervous with anticipation.

Quickly, she looked around for a place to sit down. Jem's normally tidy room had sheets of music and books stacked on many of the available chairs and couch. Jem saw her looked around and nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Ugh…sorry about the mess. I can just-" he started to move some papers off one of the chairs.

"Oh!" Tessa said quickly. "Don't worry about it Jem! I wouldn't want you to lose anything." And to stop him from working, she sat on the nearest empty space which happened to be Jem's bed. He straightened up then and saw her sitting on his bedspread. He smiled slightly. Tessa blushed as she realized what she had done. "Is this…I mean, is it alright to sit here?"

Jem's smile widened. "Yes," he said softly.

"So…" she worked to find a suitable conversation. "Were you working on writing some music then?" she gestured to the piles of paper and books.

"Yes actually," his face lit up. "It is…well actually it is a piece that I started inspired by you."

Tessa's eyes widened. "By me!" she squeaked.

Jem chuckled. "Well, it's not done yet, but I promise to play it for you once it is."

Tessa blushed and looked down at the bedspread, tracing some of the patterns with her finger. Jem took two steps towards the bed, and she could see the bottom of his pajama pants out of the corner of her eye. Slowly she looked up at Jem, who was now standing in front of her.

"Are you alright Tessa?" he asked in a gentle tone. She looked up at him, some blush still on her cheeks. "I could play a bit for you now…if it would help calm you." Tessa smiled. "Please do," she said.

Jem already had his violin in hand. He played a slow tune, steady but not unhappy. Tessa found herself lost in the music, too distracted to feel nervous or to think about the fact that she was in Jem's room. It helped that he closed his eyes as he played. Tessa could study his face without being observed—she noticed everything from his silver hair to the long delicate fingers playing the instrument. She closed her own eyes after a while, content to feel the music.

It took a moment for Tessa to realize when the music had stopped playing. She felt that she was still hearing the melody play in her head. When she opened her eyes, Jem was looking down at her with a soft smile on his face. Tessa smiled back, and reached a hand out towards him. Jem quickly set down his violin and took hold of Tessa's hand. She pulled him towards her, towards the bed.

He was directly in front of her, yet she continued to tug on his hand. Jem sat on the bed, next to Tessa, their bodies very close. Tessa's free hand came up to stroke Jem's hair and the side of his cheek. "The music you create," she said softly, "is so beautiful."

Jem's eyes brightened. "That is only because it is inspired by you." Tessa blushed again, but before she had time to say anything, Jem leaned in the short distance separating them and kissed her. Her other hand disentangled itself from his hand so that she could feel his hair fully beneath her fingers. Jem's own hands gripped Tessa's shoulder and waist, pulling her closer to him.

Tessa gave another gentle tug, and Jem tumbled on top of her, now both horizontal. Tessa felt caught up—as she had when listening to the music—though now caught up by Jem's lips. Her hands drifted down the front of his shirt, where she discovered several open buttons and quickly slipped her hand under the fabric in order to feel flesh. Jem moaned into the kiss as her hands made contact, and he began to tug at the fabric covering Tessa's shoulders.

Their kiss broke apart as Jem's efforts to remove the fabric surrounding Tessa increased. As he untied the knot of her robe, her fingers worked to quickly undo the last of the buttons on his night shirt. She pushed the shirt down his arms just as he finished opening the robe to expose her thin nightgown.

Jem looked up to Tessa's face, but her eyes were fixated on his chest, fingers tracing the swirling black marks and white scars that covered his arms and torso. As she made her way up towards his neck, her eyes caught his and she almost started to blush again.

"Tessa," Jem said in a gentle tone. "Do you want this to go further?"

Tessa knew from the minute she came into Jem's bedroom tonight that she wanted things to go further than they ever had before. Being teased by both boys with no real release was too frustrating to bear anymore.

She nodded shyly in response to his question and Jem's face broke into a large smile. His lips came to meet hers and they continued their kiss, though now Tessa's hands were allowed to roam over Jem's bare skin as his shirt had been removed.

Jem's hands also roamed—up the thin fabric of Tessa's nightgown, gripping first her hips, then waist, and finally her breasts. When Jem's hand rubbed over one for the first time, Tessa gasped and Jem smiled into their kiss.

When she couldn't take it anymore, Tessa gently pushed Jem back in order to sit up a bit and remove the last of her clothes. Jem made a noise of protest as she pushed, until he realized what she was trying to do. He quickly helped Tessa to push the robe off her arms and then sat back to allow her the removal of her nightgown. She pulled at the clothing quickly, trying not to think about the prospect of being in nothing but her drawers in front of Jem. As she pulled the last of the material over her head, her hair tumbled down her back and chest, offering a very slight measure of modesty. Tessa flung the garment to the floor and slowly lowered her hands to the bed, leaning back on them and trying not to be too nervous. Her eyes traveled upwards to Jem's gaze—his expression was a dazed smile, and he stared back into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward and crept back towards her. At the first movement of her face towards him, he rushed forward to complete the distance between them, allowing Tessa to sink back once again against the pillows.

Jem's hands now had free range of Tessa's body. One hand wound through her long brown hair that he had wanted to touch for so long, while the other hand ran over her smooth skin. Each pass over her breasts brought a slight movement or thrilled sound from Tessa and Jem could barely contain himself. Finally, his fingers slowed their progression over her body and began instead to slowly skim along the tops of her drawers—the final piece of fabric standing between himself and Tessa.

He tested the waters by continually dipping his fingers beneath the fabric, intoxicated by the small gasps Tessa emitted as he did so. When it seemed like she was somewhat accustomed to his touch, his fingers slid even lower and finally touched the area that could allow her release from so many weeks of teasing. Tessa's hand found Jem's and pushed on it urgently, begging him to never stop touching her there.

Jem chuckled into their kiss. Tessa let out a small gasp and tried to focus on his face. "Jem!" she breathed.

His hands formed around her face now. "Tessa," he said more seriously. "Do you want me to keep going?"

She nodded quickly as she looked into his eyes. She trusted Jem and felt like this was the right thing to do. Holding her gaze, his hands fell back to her drawers and began undoing the final ties holding the fabric together. Slowly, the ribbons came undone and Jem's hands were able to push the material away, revealing Tessa completely to him.

Jem's eyes wondered down Tessa's body and he sighed with pleasure. Looking back at her, he said "I think I should do some more warm up work with you—for both our sakes." He laughed. "I've waited so long for this that I don't think I'll be able to last for long once we get going. I want to make sure that you're able to release some of the tension that's keeping you up at night." He smiled at her.

Tessa was not sure what was going to happen next but she was ready for whatever Jem suggested. With a last quick kiss on her lips, Jem slid down the bed so that he was closer to Tessa's stomach. He sighed again as he looked at her body. "Oh Tessa," he moaned. He slowly lowered his face towards her breasts and looked up at her as he did. Suddenly his tongue shot out and slid past her already hard nipple. Tessa moaned and closed her eyes. Jem smiled and continued his work at her breasts, kneading one with his hand while his mouth cupped the other between teeth and tongue.

As Tessa began to moan and writhe more violently, Jem slid his free hand between her thighs once again. Without any fabric to interfere, he had a much easier time of it. Moving first over the delicate bundle of nerves he had previously reached, his hand quickly turned to exploring new areas. Jem discovered a warm and moist readiness as his fingers continued to move in and out of Tessa, her body responding perfectly.

Jem's mouth left Tessa's breast and began to travel down her stomach and towards her hips. She opened her eyes slightly, trying to focus on his movements through a dazed expression. As he had previously, Jem held her gaze as he positioned himself between her thighs. Just as the realization of what he was about to do hit her and Tessa's eyes opened wider, Jem's tongue slipped inside of Tessa, tasting the warm juices of her body and doubling the sensation in the already pulsating bundle of nerves. Tessa's eyes quickly closed again, as she could concentrate on nothing but the sheer pleasure of Jem's tongue and touch. She felt herself building towards something, but she hardly knew what to expect. Her whole being felt centered on this small part of her body between her thighs. Her hands wound through Jem's hair, attempting to hold onto something as it felt like the whole world was ripping apart around her.

"Jem!" she managed to cry, just as the feeling of pleasure came to a head and washed over her entire self.

Jem gave her a final quick slip of his tongue as he smiled up at her. Tessa felt slightly dizzy, but finally some release had come after weeks of the boys' teasing.

Jem came up to lie beside Tessa, her breathing finally returning to normal. She looked over at him with a dazed expression. He laughed. "Feel better?" he asked. Tessa smiled and nodded slowly. As she looked into Jem's eyes, she suddenly knew that she wanted to give him this same amount of pleasure. Propping herself up on her elbows, Tessa glanced towards Jems pajama pants which were still intact. Slowly, she reached out a hand towards the knot at the top of the pants. Jem's eyes followed her hands—he was half holding his breath. Tessa undid the tie and then came up to her knees in order to more properly get hold of the fabric. Before pulling, she looked up into Jem's eyes for reassurance. He nodded encouragingly and Tessa proceeded to tug at the pants until she slid them off.

Seeing Jem's naked form in front of her, Tessa couldn't help her slightly open mouth. She had certainly never seen a naked man before, and felt lucky the first time could be with someone as beautiful as Jem. She blushed slightly, realizing that she was staring at him.

"Can I…" she began hesitantly. She looked at him again. "Can I do the same thing to you that you just did to me?"

Jem's smile widened and he leaned back against the pillows. He closed his eyes and nodded. Without him watching her, Tessa felt free to take her time exploring this man in front of her. She moved her body closer to his and reached out delicate fingers to trace more of the black marks on his Shadowhunter skin. As she traced one near his hip bone, Jem let out a small gasp and Tessa almost withdrew. But she found that she liked being able to get this reaction from Jem and so continued the progression of her fingertips further along his hips.

As Tessa neared the area between Jem's hips, she glanced at him again for reassurance. Jem was watching her now, curious to know what Tessa would do having never been with a man before. Still looking at his face, Tessa's fingers crept around his hard length and began to tighten around it. Jem looked surprised for a moment, but quickly shut his eyes to pleasure as Tessa's hand began to move up and down the length of his shaft. He let out a small moan and Tessa smiled at the clear sign that she was doing this correctly. In order to grasp the entire member at once, Tessa brought her other hand to work in union with the first. Jem's eyes opened in surprise as she continued the pumping motion with both hands now.

"Tessa!" he breathed. "This might be over too soon if you continue to figure things out so expertly!"

Her hands slowed. "Jem…" she began shyly. "Can you…that is, I want to experience everything. I want to have you inside of me." She blushed slightly as she finished. Jem hardly needed more incentive. He was in front of and on top of Tessa in an instant, looking into her eyes for conformation that this is what she wanted.

"Tessa, do you want to do this tonight?" he asked quietly. She nodded. "It may hurt a little at first, but we will take it slow and then it should start to feel good." She nodded again.

"I want you Jem" she sighed.

He positioned his body in front of hers, trying to force himself to go slowly for Tessa's sake, but having a hard time containing himself at these words. She felt the front of his cock press against her and took a deep breath to relax her muscles. Jem slowly pushed his hips forward and Tessa felt a small pinch as his length filled her.

"Ah Tessa!" he moaned. "Are you alright?"

She reached up to touch his face and allowed herself to sink more deeply into the sensation of having him inside of her. "Oh Jem," she whispered. "It feels so good!"

Slowly, Jem began to move in and out of Tessa. The initial sensation quickly faded, and was replaced with the building of pleasure again. Tessa arched her hips in order to allow more of Jem into herself. He moaned in pleasure and began to move faster. Tessa let out a gasp as Jem's member once again touched and rubbed against the bud between her legs. She felt the same wave of pleasure building up around her, only this time it was much stronger with Jem pounding into her on top of the vibrations.

Suddenly, Tessa felt the waves crash down around her as the pleasure came to a peak and drowned her again. At the same time, she heard Jem's moan of pleasure and "Tessa!" escape his lips as he also surrendered to the feeling enveloping them both.

As Tessa felt herself finally drifting to sleep in Jem's arms, she heard him whisper, "Now I can finally finish that violin piece…"


	6. Chapter 6 Tessa and Will in the Ring

Chapter 6

Two weeks passed after her visit to Jem's bedroom. The boys' teasing had resumed, only now there had been no chance of release for Tessa. She was so busy with training and trying to help Charlotte around the Institute that there was never enough spare time to be with Jem _or_ Will for that long a time.

Tessa sighed to herself as she thought of this, throwing a small dagger at a target a little too aggressively as the unreleased tension she felt continued to gnaw at her. The blade went spinning very fast at the target, but missed its mark by several feet. She heard a low chuckle behind her.

Tessa spun around to find Will, slouched against one of the walls of the training room, watching her practice. She felt her face begin to redden. "Will!" she said hastily. "How long have you been in here?"

He pushed himself off the wall and walked towards her. Like Tessa, Will was dressed in all black—the training outfit of the Shadowhunters. While her black tunic reached midway down her thighs, his was shorter and only came to his hips. Tessa blushed harder as she thought of how little fabric either of them had on compared to their normal everyday wear of layered clothing. As Will came even closer, she become quite aware of just how close-fitting Will's shirt was…and how several of the top buttons were undone revealing the beginnings of his chest, swirling black marks…."_Stop!_" thought Tessa. "_I must stop aggravating myself every time one of those two come around_."

Will seemed to guess some of what she was thinking. He smirked again and looked down her outfit as he came closer, appearing to also be thinking about how little clothing stood between them.

"Seems like you're a bit tense Tessa," he said as he lazily picked up some of the throwing daggers from a table.

"I…" Tessa stammered.

Will began to throw the daggers, most hitting very near the center of the target. She felt grateful that his gaze was elsewhere, as she could still feel the heat in her cheeks from the implied meaning behind his words.

"Of course, it's been two weeks since you've let Jem ease some of your tension, so it's only natural that you're feeling a little unfocused" he said.

Tessa's eyes widened. "How did you….Will! I can't believe you would even bring something like that up!"

He glanced at her and smiled. "Jem told me all about it." He threw another dagger. "You should know that by now. As _parabati_, we share just about everything." He glanced at her again. "Although as far as sharing you…" he trailed off, again looking at Tessa's black tunic suggestively.

"Will, really!" Tessa said in annoyance. She couldn't believe that Jem had already discussed their situation with Will. And what did he mean by the idea of sharing _her_?

"Anyway Tessa," Will continued. "I really don't think it's fair. You've given Jem his chance, but when will I get mine?" He threw his last dagger and straightened up to look at her.

Tessa had to look up into Will's eyes, but she made herself do it now. She would not back down to his blunt words or wandering eyes. "When you act more the gentlemen!" she exclaimed.

Will took a step towards her and Tessa took one back. She bumped into the table that had once held the throwing daggers. Will stood very close to her, the black of their shirts pressed together.

"Hmm…" he breathed. "I don't really think it's gentleman behavior that you're looking for. You've already had that from Jem. No…I think now you're looking for something a little more rough" he finished in a low voice. One arm wrapped around Tessa's small waist, while the other cupped around her jaw and angled Tessa's lips upward to meet his own. Tessa's eyes flew open for a brief surprised moment, but quickly closed as she gave in to the forceful kiss of Will.

When he suddenly let her go and took a step back, Tessa emitted a small gasp and visibly wobbled on her feet. Will gave a small triumphant smile but his eyes were feverish. Tessa attempted to glare at him but was still recovering from the kiss.

"Tessa," Will said in a husky voice. "Why don't we practice some sparring?"

This change of subject made Tessa's head spin and she gave one small nod to show her consent. Will turned and made his way into a small ring that was set up for sparring practice. Tessa followed.

Will turned to face her as she entered. "But let's make this practice a bit more interesting, shall we?" he grinned again and his eyes were almost on fire as he looked at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously. Inside though, her stomach did a somersault as she quickly went through an inventory list of things that Will might potentially suggest.

"Each time one of us pins the other, that person must remove one item of clothing," Will said in a serious tone.

Tessa was so shocked for a moment that she could not speak. She felt her cheeks begin to go pink. This suggestion had not been on the list she was forming in her head. Will smirked again and Tessa felt a stubborn resolution that he would not win this game. She nodded once again. Will's eyebrows shot up into his unkempt black hair. He said nothing, but crouched into a fighting stance.

Tessa followed suit and they began to spar. Although Will was bigger than she, Tessa had done a fair amount of sparring practice with the Lightwoods and was quick on her feet. Eventually though, Tessa made a small mistake and Will had her pinned—kneeling behind her and imprisoning one arm behind her back, Tessa was pinned. To be on her knees with Will behind her like this was….well very _improper_ to say the least. Tessa tried to convince herself that they were simply sparring and that nothing should be read into the compromising situation she was in. However, as Will did not let her up immediately and instead commented on how much he liked her this angle, Tessa's feeble excuses to herself were quickly overthrown.

Standing a moment later, Tessa was blushing as she considered which piece of clothing to remove. As she was not wearing much to begin with, this was a tricky decision to make. Finally, she decided to remove her pants as the tunic top acted as a sort of very short dress for her. Will raised his eyebrows again.

"Ah," he said. "This seems a bit unfair now. I think I will be fairly….distracted as we continue." His eyes traveled up her long legs and back to her face. It was Tessa's turn to smile. "Well that's good for me then I suppose," she said.

They continued to spar with a second round, this time Tessa won the advantage and pinned Will to the mat. Determined to get the better of him this time, Tessa did not even notice the position she pinned him until Will's back was on the floor. He had relaxed his body and her legs straddled his chest while her small hands pressed down on his biceps.

Realizing how she was positioned, Tessa quickly let go of Will's arms and leaned back. Will smiled sweetly and put his hands under his head. "Well done Tessa," he said cheerfully. Tessa blushed again and she attempted to move off of him without compromising herself in the short tunic. Will's hand caught her wrist however, and she turned back to look at him.

"I will lose my shirt for this round I think," he said. "But I'm wondering if you could help me with the buttons?" he smiled in his sweet, mischievous way again.

Tessa again looked at Will's shirt—the first three buttons were already undone. Slowly, she reached forward and began to undo the rest of the shirt. As she did so, she continued to look at Will's face, determined not to give him the satisfaction of knowing how badly she wanted to rip both this shirt and his pants off. As she came to the last button, Tessa's hands lingered near the top of his pants, and her fingers whisked along with lower abs, close to his hips. Will drew a sharp breath as she did so, and he briefly closed his eyes under her touch. Tessa took the opportunity to stare down at his now bare chest, covered in black marks and white scars—just like Jem's had been. Her hands moved up his chest, remembering how good it had felt to touch a Shadowhunter. Eagerly, she pushed the shirt away to expose more of Will's skin, drinking in the taste of his flesh and rune marks.

Tessa's eyes traveled back up to Will's face. He was watching her now and his eyes seemed to light up as their gazes met.

Suddenly it was Tessa who was on her back, and Will loomed above her. She had almost caught her breath, when Will's lips were suddenly on hers and she breathed him instead. Will's hand traveled up her bare leg, gripping her thigh hard. Tessa let out a small gasp as his fingers dug into her skin.

_This_, she realized with a new excitement, _is not going to be like it was with Jem…_

Will's hand continued to travel up her leg, reaching her laced drawers under the tunic. Will's quick fingers were at the ties holding the fabric together in a second, working to untie the knot there. Tessa tried to get her mind to focus enough so that she could push Will's shirt the rest of the way off his shoulders.

He moaned in frustration as the sleeves reached his hands, and he had to stop his knot-undoing for the moment in order to take his shirt off. He broke off their kiss and threw his shirt across the ring. Tessa could now fully appreciate his torso and arms, stronger and larger than Jem's but with no fewer swirling black marks. Her fingers traced one on his forearm, a swirling design that she had also seen on Jem.

_The two are so intertwined_, she thought feverishly.

Will watched her small fingers tracing the rune on his arm. "Tessa," he said in a low voice. She looked at him. "Are you ready to give me my chance?" She nodded a single time yet again, and a small smile crept onto her face. Will's own smile burst forth in greater magnitude, and he hastily lunged for the knot holding her tunic together.

As he furiously worked to untie the knot around her waist, Tessa's fingers crept down to the smaller strings holding together the training pants that Will was wearing. She began to ease the knot apart. They finished together, and Will gently took Tessa's hands away from his waist and placed them above her head.

"Stay," he said in a low growl. Tessa smiled.

As if he were opening the best present in the world, Will slowly pushed her undone belt aside and lifted back the two sides of the tunic to reveal Tessa underneath. Will drew a sharp breath himself this time and he stayed gazing at her for a long moment, trying to fathom her soft beauty. Tessa could feel the blush begin in her cheeks again.

"Oh Tessa…." Will sighed. His eyes came back up to hers. His fingers intertwined in her hair, gentle at first then suddenly a rougher pulling as he fell towards her again and kissed her open mouth. His kiss was so rough that when he pulled away again, Tessa's lips were slightly red and puffed. Will looked at her lips with satisfaction and gave a small smile.

Tessa propped herself up on her elbows, causing the tunic to fall even further away from her. "Umm Will…" she said shyly. "I wanted to try something with you that Jem did with me. But it might be easier if you were…um…standing." She ended with a fiercer blush.

Will stood up, curious to see what Tessa wanted to try. She sat up fully now, and shrugged off the last of her tunic. Coming in front of Will, she reached up for the hem of his pants and cautiously pulled them down. Kneeling in front of him then, Tessa shyly faced Will's ready cock.

Uncertainly, Tessa opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around the member. Will let out a gasp and immediately wrapped his hands in Tessa's hair. Slowly, she began to work her mouth up and down the shaft, letting her tongue slide over Will in all directions. The hand on her head followed the back-and-forth motion, and as Tessa began to move faster Will's eyes closed and he let out a soft moan. As he built towards his climax, Will's hands left Tessa's hair to run through his own, feeling uncertain of his ability to remain on his feet as he let go.

As she sat back on her heels, Will cried out "By the Angel Tessa! Was that really your first time doing that?" he looked shocked and dazed. Tessa smiled and knew immediately that she had also figured this out correctly.

Will offered her a hand and helped her to her feet. "I think that we'd better have a round two for this session as well," he said in a husky tone. He walked Tessa backwards towards the thick rope surrounding the ring. As she leaned against it, Will began to kiss her neck, working his way down the rest of her body. He came to one knee in front of Tessa and continued the progression of his kisses towards the space between her thighs.

As soon as his tongue flew over the bundle of nerves there, Tessa let out a cry of pleasure. She had been waiting for this release for so long…

Will continued to work on Tessa, using both his expert tongue and quick fingers. She felt herself building up again and relished the thought of being brought over the edge again. However, just as she was beginning to come near her climatic moment, Will suddenly stopped and stood back up quickly. Wrapping his hands around her shoulders and waist, he easily and gently lifted Tessa up in the air. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around him and he easily entered her. Between his tongue and her excitement, she was more than ready to receive him. Will began moving slowly inside of her as she held on to his shoulders and again began to feel herself climbing towards release.

"Tessa," Will said softly. She struggled to re-establish focus on the man in front of her. His bright blue eyes helped her to effort as they burned into hers.

"Oh…yes Will?" she replied between quick breaths.

"Can I…" he began almost shyly. "Can I have you in that compromising angle that I found so ravishing earlier in our sparring?"

Tessa's eyes widened as she remembered Will being behind her as she was on all fours. But then Will bit his lip in such an endearing and eager way that there was no alternative but to agree with him. She smiled at Will and nodded. Immediately he picked her up and led her to the floor again.

As Tessa raised herself onto hands and knees, Will felt that he could not contain himself much longer. Entering Tessa from behind, Will grasped her hips very hard and began to move in a faster and rougher way. Tessa gasped as he hammered into her, the feeling of climax close at hand. Will leaned forward slightly so that he could bring his hand around Tessa's waist and again use his fingers at the bud between her legs. Tessa let out a cry of desire as he did so, finally realizing her release of pleasure just as Will did too.

Remaining within her for a moment, Will panted slightly against Tessa's back. They both had a faint sheen of sweat over their bodies and Tessa felt slightly shaky by this intense round.

Slowly, Will slid his arm out from underneath Tessa and came to sit down next to her. Tessa laid down in the ring next to him, gradually regaining her normal breathing. Will looked down at her naked form and sighed slightly.

"Well Tessa," he said lightly, "I think you've made some excellent progress today in your training. A bit more guidance from myself and Jem should be all it takes before you are an expert."

Tessa attempted to look shocked at his words, but she felt too relaxed and pleasant to be bothered. Instead she said, "Yes I think you're right Will. A few more sessions with you and Mr. Carstairs should do the trick," and closed her eyes in contentment.


	7. Chapter 7 The Bet Continues

Chapter 7

A week after her rounds with Will in the ring, Tessa found herself sitting down to a pleasant lunch at the Institute. Jem, Charlotte, and Henry were also at the table and conversation was pretty subdued. Near the end of lunch however, Will burst through the dining room door, a ball of energy with windswept hair and an agitated look.

Charlotte gave him one glance and sighed a little loudly. She began to push her chair away from the table. "I think I'll get started on those letters now…Henry dear?"

"Hum?" Henry looked around over his newspaper. When he saw his wife's look that said she was going to have a massive headache if she had to listen to one more of Will's songs, Henry immediately put down his paper and began to follow her.

Despite the mess of his black hair, Will still looked devilishly handsome as he sauntered towards the dining room table.

"Ah, Tessa, Jem! Just the two people I wanted to see!" he nearly shouted. Tessa raised an eyebrow but Jem merely continued to sip his tea.

Will roughly pulled out a chair just as the dining room door closed behind Charlotte and Henry's exit. He immediately began loading his plate with what was left of the sandwiches from lunch.

"So Tessa," Will began, as he continued to pull food towards himself. "Now that you've had us both, which man wins the bet?" He finished by taking a large bite from one of the sandwiches.

Tessa felt her face flush and Jem actually dropped his teacup in the saucer with a loud "_clink!_"

Will smiled serenely at Tessa while Jem shot his _parabati_ a look of shock and venom. "Will!" said Jem sharply. "I do not think that is appropriate lunch conver—I mean to say, it is not really appropriate at any time…"

"Oh come on Jem!" Will said gleefully. "Tessa knew the parameters of our little bet and I think we're owed an answer by now. It's been weeks of us flirting, and teasing, and pleasuring her—she owes us an answer!"

Tessa was still silent. She felt her face become even hotter as Will said these words. She _had_ known this question was coming…but Will could be so crass!

Jem looked over at her sheepishly. "Sorry for Will's tactless nature. But have you…uh…come to any decisions?" He finished lightly.

Tessa pushed her napkin onto the table. "Well…um… as a matter of fact," she began.

Both boys leaned across the table, trying to be the first to hear her answer. Will was smiling confidently while Jem was shyly curious. Tessa's eyes moved from one to the other, knowing that she had no answer for them.

"Well!" bellowed Will. "Out with it Tessa!" He nudged Jem in the ribs. "Sorry old boy—must be me and she just doesn't want to hurt your feelings!"

"No!" Tessa interrupted. "It's…it's not that!" She hesitated as a look of confusion came over Will's still chewing face. "It's just that…well…I think I'm going to need more evidence from each of you before I decide," she finished very quietly.

Will's mouth stopped chewing. Jem's eyes grew wide as saucers. _This_ was not the answer they had expected to hear.

"More…uh, evidence Tessa?" Jem asked tentatively.

She nodded her head, hardly daring to look at either of them. The _parabati _slowly turned their heads to look at each other.

"Well I suppose…" Jem began.

"If that's what she needs…" Will finished eagerly.

Tessa nodded again, finally forcing herself to look up at the two boys. Both were grinning at each other.

"James," Will stuck out his hand. "May the best man still win."

Jem took his hand with a smile on his face. "You're the one who's going to need luck William!"

Tessa let out a small laugh. Her request went over better than expected she felt. In fact, it seemed like they were going to enjoy the next part of the challenge. As she began to contemplate the possibilities, both boys turned to look at Tessa. When she suddenly felt their gazes, she quickly pushed her chair back and got up from the table.

"Gentlemen," she said with a small nod of her head.

Will reached for another sandwich and Tessa left the dining room with a huge smile on her face.


	8. Chapter 8 Will and Jem, Jem and Will

**Ok so this chapter was not originally planned but several people mentioned wanting to see a Heronstairs chapter! This is my attempt to fulfill that wish and I hope you like it! I have at least 3 more chapters planned at this point :) Please read and review!**

Chapter 8

"Well now," sighed Will as he put his napkin on the table, having finished the last of the lunch sandwiches. "That _was_ a surprising twist to our little bet."

Jem smiled before draining the last of his tea. "It certainly was." He agreed, but then looked over slyly at his _parabati_. "Though I guess not _too_ surprising…given how much pleasure I'm sure you gave her." He cocked an eyebrow.

Will smiled and stood up from the table. "Jealous Jem?"

Jem let out a low chuckle.

Will began slowly moving towards the back of Jem's chair at the dining room table. "Oh I'm sure you had her begging for more yourself James. I know what you're capable of." He was now standing behind Jem's chair, looking down at his silver hair and nearly-matching V-neck vest. He reached a hand down until his entire arm was encircling Jem's shoulders and leaned his head close to his _parabati's_ ear. "In fact," he growled, "thinking about it makes _me_ a little jealous." He nipped at Jem's ear.

As if he had read his mind, Jem's head quickly turned towards Will so that their lips could meet. The two had not been together for weeks, spending all their attentions on Tessa and this bet. But now, finally alone, they remembered what it felt like to be together. Jem's lips moved fiercely against Will's and their tongues quickly met between open mouths.

Will finally pulled back with a small gasp, "By the Angel! I have missed you James Carstairs."

Jem smiled up at him, but suddenly felt concern about their open location. He quickly stood up from the table. "Will, the dining room…it is too risky that someone could walk—" Will stopped him from leaving the table by pushing his body against Jem's until he was pressed against the tablecloth. Their faces were inches apart.

"That's part of the fun," Will said softly as his hands began to unbutton the silver vest and then the white shirt underneath. Jem felt that he should argue his point but quickly felt himself losing willpower under his _parabati's_ touch and gaze.

"Will I really think that we should—" Jem began again, but was interrupted by both the sudden touch of Will's hands on his bare chest as well as his lips finding a trail up his collarbone and neck. "Ah—William!" he gasped instead. Will smiled into the crook of Jem's neck. He loved to hear him say his proper name.

Will's hand slowly trailed down the front of Jem's shirt and began to tug at the top of his pants. He dipped four long slender fingers beneath the fabric and Jem's eyes popped with the sudden contact. Will's smile broadened. "Oh Jem…" he whispered. "I've missed you."

Suddenly Jem's own hands sprang into action, unbuttoning Will's shirt. Clearly no longer concerned about their potential to be caught in the dining room, he also began to undo the buttons on Will's pants. Will however was faster and was already tugging Jem's pants down his hips. His hands quickly wrapped around Jem's member and began moving slowly up and down. Jem's hands forgot their mission of unfastening Will's pants and he closed his eyes as he gave in to the thrill of having Will touch him in this way.

Will's other hand traveled up Jem's body to his hair, where his fingers entangled themselves in the silver strands and gently tugged backwards. Jem moaned softly as his now exposed neck brought Will's lips back to his skin.

As Will's hand continued to pump Jem, he began to flick a thumb over the more sensitive head of his cock. Each time brought another moan from Jem or a bucking of hips against Will's body. The sounds coming from Jem were driving Will mad with want. His eyes rolled back as he thought about the coming moment of entering his _parabati_ for the first time in so many weeks.

This thought spurred Will's hand to move even faster over Jem's hard cock and Jem's rapid breathing let Will know that he was close to the edge. Pulling Jem's face slightly forward again, Will leaned forward to kiss him again as he continued his fierce pumping. Jem seemed to melt into the kiss until he finally came. Eyes bursting open and a loud gasp escaping his lips accompanied this release. Will gave him one final kiss under the jaw and a final slow drag over his member as Jem's breathing attempted to come back to normal.

"Well maybe I shouldn't be too jealous," Will smirked. "I can't imagine Tessa was able to get _that_ reaction," he said triumphantly.

Jem gave a weak smile. "You had her too. I think you know what she's capable of."

Will considered this for a moment and decided that while Tessa could possibly be his equal in terms of giving pleasure to Jem, she would not surpass him. At least he didn't _think_ so….

Regaining focus, Will put his hands on Jem's hips. "Now then," he said sweetly. "Shall we continue?"

Jem smiled again and quickly revealed a small vile from his pocket.

"Mr. Carstairs!" Will said in mock astonishment. "I am shocked! What are you doing carrying oil around in your pocket?" Inwardly, Will was thrilled by this discovery as it meant they could continue on with their fun.

"Oh you know…" Jem blushed slightly. "Never know when you're going to need it…" he trailed off suggestively.

"Hmm…" Will growled. He pretended to look jealous as he gripped Jem's hips harder. "Well you'll only need it when you're with me I hope…" he said, looking into Jem's eyes.

Just as Jem was about to come back with another suggestive comment, he suddenly found himself facing the dining room table with Will pressed up against him very closely. He could still feel the tight grip of Will's hands on his hips. Jem smiled to himself—he loved when Will took control like this.

"Oh Jem…" he heard his _parabati_ sigh behind him. One hand trailed around Jem's waist and began to travel back down his stomach towards his member. Jem could already feel himself beginning to harden again as he thought about what was to come. Will's other hand meanwhile was fumbling with the last of his pants buttons, finally undoing the last of them and pressing his body against Jem's with a moan.

Pausing in his fondling of Jem, Will retrieved his stele from a pocket. Lifting Jem's shirt, he quickly drew a small rune on Jem's lower back. The effect was immediate—Jem's hips began to buck towards Will as the rune induced a sensation of pleasure throughout his body.

"Ah William!" Jem moaned. "I didn't know we were using runes!"

Will smiled. It had been so long since they had been together, he wanted to take precautions that the experience would be good for both of them. As Jem's hips continued to grind against his own, Will pulled the cork from the oil bottle with his teeth.

"Touch yourself James," Will said in a low growl.

Jem moaned as the rune continued to work its way through his body. Hearing Will's command in his low husky tone made him shiver slightly. Slowly he brought his hand to his own member and let out a gasp as he touched himself. The rune was intensifying all of his sensations so that his cock immediately stiffened to an erect readiness.

Meanwhile, Will began to pour some of the oil onto his fingers as he watched Jem touch himself and listened to his moans of self-pleasure. Will felt that he really wouldn't last long once they started to get going—though he didn't think Jem would either. Slowly and gently, Will began to rub the oil in and around Jem's entrance. He tested the waters by inserting one long, slim finger into Jem, who let out another loud moan.

"By the Angel James!" cried Will, almost laughing. "You were the one who was worried about us being caught!"

Jem gasped for breath. "I'm sorry William! I just…it's been too long…" he sighed as Will continued to work in and out of him.

As Will inserted two fingers, his other hand tightened its grip on Jem's hips. "Jem?" he asked in that same low growl. "Are you still pleasuring yourself?"

Jem let out another gasp as the second finger went in and he felt the pressure of Will's grip on his hip. "Yes Will," he managed to get out. "Please hurry! I can't take waiting anymore—I need you!"

Will grinned. He loved it when Jem got this close. Letting go of Jem's hip, Will poured out more the oil, this time covering his own neglected member. Positioning himself directly behind Jem, he slowly began to enter his _parabati_.

While he was trying to take things slowly, Will let out a loud gasp as Jem suddenly pushed his hips back into Will, needing to have that feeling of being filled. Will felt dazed by this sudden sensation of being enclosed by the tightness of Jem and it took him a few seconds to remember to breathe again.

Jem looked over his shoulder as he gripped the tablecloth. "William, please…" he whispered.

This was all it took. Will took Jem's hips in both hands now and began to thrust into Jem. Both began to moan in pleasure as they had not been this close in weeks. Jem's head snapped back in place as Will continued to drive into him even faster. The teacups on the table began rattling in their saucers with the force of their movements. Jem's own hand was still pleasuring himself though he was trying to hold off until the moment they could come together. As he heard Will's breathing reach a rapid pace, he knew it would not be long. The moment he heard Will's loud moan behind him, Jem also let himself go as they both reached their climax.

As Jem attempted to straighten his still disheveled vest, he noticed Will's hand stretched out to him. It contained the small container of oil. Jem looked up and saw Will's dazzling blue eyes smiling at him.

"You should keep this handy James," he said softly. "Could be something fun to introduce Tessa to later," he said with a wink.


	9. Chapter 9 The White Dragon Part 1

Chapter 9

It had been a few days since Tessa had extended the bet with Will and Jem. She was reading in her room when Sophie entered looking a little distressed.

"What is it Sophie?" Tessa asked, setting down her book.

"Ah Ms. Gray," Sophie began, wringing her dusting rag. "It is Master William. He has gone out to one of those gambling clubs and not returned since last night."

Tessa frowned. It was not unusual for Will to be absent in this way, but the fact that is was upsetting Sophie made Tessa want to bring him back and box his ears.

"Don't worry Sophie," Tessa consoled her. "I'm sure Jem can find him and bring him back."

"It's not just any gambling club though!" cried Sophie. "He went to the one they call the White Dragon. I've heard it is a dangerous place and I fear for Master Will." Tessa frowned as she too was now concerned. Making up her mind to act, she rose from her chair in search of Will's _parabati_.

As Tessa neared the library, she could make out Jem's voice—but it was Jem's voice as she had never heard it before. Slightly higher pitched and seeming to croon in a way, she caught phrases such as "You're such a smart little creature aren't you? Aren't you Church?" and "Your tail is the fluffiest in all of London—yes it is!"

Tessa tried to stifle a giggle as she listened to Jem continue to serenade the Institute cat with praise but it was no use. She let out a laugh and quickly came around the corner to find a pink faced Jem with an adoring Church purring on his lap. The cat looked up at Tessa, glaring at the one who had interrupted the praise he was receiving from his favorite human.

"Um…Jem," Tessa began, trying to compose her face.

"I was just…" Jem began, trying to push Church off his lap. His unsuccessful attempts only made the cat nuzzle Jem's hand in an affectionate way and meow loudly.

Tessa smiled at the pair and sat down on the floor nearby. She idly picked up one of Church's play toys and began trying to distract the cat with a small stuffed mouse. Church continued to glare at her and instead settled for laying down on Jem's lap.

"Sophie has just told me about Will's outing…" began Tessa, still playing with the small cat toy instead of looking into Jem's eyes. "It sounds like this White Dragon place might be dangerous…" She finally looked up and was surprised to see a small smile playing at Jem's lips.

"As danger is exactly what Will is usually seeking, I'm not surprised to hear about this," he said softly. As Tessa continued to look worried though, he added, "I can go there this evening to retrieve him if it will make you…and Sophie feel better." He ended with an encouraging smile.

Tessa sat up a little straighter. "If you're going to save Will, then I want to come along too!" she said firmly.

Jem straightened up in a startled way and jostled Church from his lap. "Tessa…" he began, reaching for her hand. "I would never dream of your going to such a place!"

Tessa stared resolutely back at him. "Will doesn't just belong to you now Jem," she said softly. He squeezed her hand. "I need to come with you and be sure that he is alright."

Jem continued to stare into her eyes, then finally sighed. "I can see there's no talking you out of this." Tessa smiled. "However," he continued "the White Dragon has a pretty strict dress code. You'll have to change. Fortunately I have some outfits that I think should fit you."

By a "strict dress code" Jem meant proper suit and tie for gentlemen guests, and traditional Chinese dresses for any accompanying female guests. In his bedroom, Jem had produced several such dresses from a large trunk that contained many pieces of his past. The outfits were made from lovely silk and had embroidered flowers, butterflies, and Chinese characters on them. Tessa chose a gorgeous red dress with gold embroidered branches and flowers on it. Before going back to her room to change, Jem also handed her a small box that contained ornate hair pieces. When Tessa looked at him in bewilderment over these pieces, Jem smiled and said "Sophie will know what to do."

Indeed, Sophie did know how to help Tessa dress in this unfamiliar style. The dress was very fitted to Tessa's body and there was a rather large opening at the neck that made her feel slightly exposed. This was nothing however to the slits going up both sides of her legs that made Tessa feel as if she were about the reveal more of her lower half than she had ever shown in public. Looking at herself in the mirror, Tessa admired Sophie's handiwork with her hair. It was swept up into a neat bun, with a beautiful golden hairpiece that stuck out, trailing a series of beads beside her head. Sophie beamed back at her.

Coming into the entrance hallway of the Institute, Tessa was trying to make sure that her legs did not come out too far from the slits running up both sides of the dress. As she looked up from tugging at the dress, she saw Jem near the doorway, frozen in place pulling one glove on as he stared at her. His mouth was slightly open. Tessa knew she must look very different—not only her outfit and hair, but Sophie had also insisted on a bright red lipstick to match the dress as well as some dark eye liner to make her eyes appear slightly more almond shaped. She was not sure how to take Jem's reaction as he was still apparently unable to speak. She continued to walk towards him.

"Is this…" she began, "is this the way the dress and hair piece should look?" She was worried now that perhaps Sophie had been wrong about how to wear the outfit.

Jem blinked and seemed to come back to himself a little. He carefully cleared his throat and shook his head slightly as if to clear it. "Yes," he said a little breathlessly. "Yes, this is exactly how the outfit should look. In fact, it looks a little too good…I shall have to keep an eye on you once we get to the White Dragon." He smiled at Tessa then and she felt a rush of reassurance. "Shall we go then?"

Tessa took Jem's arm as he led to the way to the door, shaking out an umbrella as they went. Getting to the carriage was not an easy task, between the rain and the strange new fashion of Tessa's dress. Once inside the carriage, Jem closed the curtains slightly to shut out the gloomy weather. The street lamps were beginning to come on and they were awash in a soft orange light inside the carriage. Sitting across from her, Jem could still make out the bright gold thread of Tessa's dress, the shimmer of the beads in her hair, and the stand-out red lips.

As the carriage pulled away, Jem told Tessa in a resolute tone, "The White Dragon is quite a drive from here. It will probably take us close to an hour to get there. And some of the roads are slightly—" they hit a large hole in the road that sent Tessa's body flying across the small carriage space towards Jem. Her hand landed on his thigh as she gripped it tightly while trying to regain her balance. Jem's eyes focused on her hand as he finished his thought "bumpy."

As Tessa realized where her hand had landed, she blushed and began to pull back. But Jem caught her wrist and their eyes met across the carriage seats. Quickly, he pulled on her arm so that she was instead seated on his lap. Their body heat and rapid breathing was already beginning to cause the carriage windows to steam. "It is a very long carriage ride…" Jem began breathlessly, eying the very open décolletage of Tessa's dress. Tessa blushed again and tried to take a deep breath in to steady herself—however this only served to breathing in more of Jem's delicious scent, a mix of the sweet _yin fen_ and a muskier underscent of cologne. Her eyes met Jems and both had a fevered pitch of desire. Meeting Tessa's dark outlined eyes drove Jem completely over the edge and he quickly leaned in to meet her ruby red lips. The way she looked tonight—from the dress to her delicate hairpiece—reminded him so much of home. He thought it was the loveliest she had ever looked.

As Tessa gave in to the power of Jem's lips, she forgot to worry so much about her dress or hair or makeup. Instead she gave herself completely to the kiss, tasting Jem for the first time in weeks and running her hands through his hair. Jem moaned softly under her touch and his own hands quickly took to roaming down Tessa's side to the long slits at her legs. As his fingers worked their way up her thigh, the dress material was pushed higher and higher until her legs were completely exposed. Letting his hands wonder further, Jem's eyes shot open in surprise as he realized that Tessa was not wearing any undergarments.

Tessa moaned as his fingers hit the bare skin between her legs and their kiss broke apart briefly. "Tessa!" Jem said in surprise. "You aren't wearing…I mean to say—well it _is_ convenient…"

Tessa blushed at Jem's surprise. "Well this dress is very tight you see…and so well—Sophie and I thought it might be better to just not have any underthings to show through the fabric." She finished in a small squeak and looked at Jem for his reaction. He was smiling ear-to-ear. "I see," he said with that devilish grin. He moved his fingers again and Tessa immediately reacted by closing her eyes and moaning in pleasure. Jem slumped back in the seat as he looked at her in wonder. "By the Angel," he breathed. "Will is never going to believe me when I tell him that Ms. Gray went out without any undergarments!"

Tessa blushed again as she tried to focus on him. "Oh Jem!" she cried. "Promise me you won't tell him! I will never hear the end of it from Will if he knows about this." Jem smiled wickedly again. "Well," he started. "I'm sure I could be persuaded to keep quiet…" Tessa giggled and reached for the buttons on his trousers.

"Oh really Mr. Carstairs?" she said mischievously. "And you think I have the power to persuade you?" Her hand plunged into his now open pants and she gripped his member firmly before giving it a quick tug. Jem gasped and his eyes shot open in surprise at the pleasure of her touch. "Umm yes…" he tried to speak as her hands were now pumping up and down his shaft at a vigorous pace. "I…I think you can persuade me." He moaned again as he felt himself already building up. "Not—Not so fast!" he finally cried, putting a stop to Tessa's hand.

She smiled at him again, taking on the air of innocence. "I'm just trying to buy your silence Mr. Carstairs. Am I doing a good job of convincing you so far?"

Jem smiled back. "Yes," he said "A bit _too good_ a job. I think I will have to distract you for a moment." With that, he pushed Tessa back onto her side of the carriage and came to his knees in front of her. Pushing the dress fabric to one side, he quickly reinserted a finger between Tessa's folds. She gasped and writhed against the seat. Smiling, he pulled her hips to the edge of the seat until she was level with his mouth. Leaning in, he quickly slipped his tongue into Tessa, working both in and around the sensitive knot there. His fingers continued their incessant pulsing into Tessa and her moans became louder. Finally adding his thumb to the mix by swirling in slow circles around her focal bud, he took Tessa over the edge as she cried out and tore at the edges of the velvet carriage seat.

Jem leaned back and smiled at her. She opened her eyes to see him licking his lips and blushed again. She leaned forward and her dreamy eyes met his. "That was—a very good distraction Mr. Carstairs," she said with a lazy smile. "But don't think I will have forgotten about our deal." Jem smiled as she pushed him back toward his seat and straddled his waist. Her hands quickly resumed their earlier practice of pumping his member though she quickly realized that Jem's passion had hardly subsided during their intermission.

Pulling the trousers down a bit further, Tessa was finally able to expose Jem's member. It was hardly in the air though before she plunged it inside of her, relishing in Jem's expression of pure ecstasy as his lips formed a perfect "O." Balancing against the back of the seat cushion, Tessa began to move her hips up and down, wrapping his erect cock in her soft warmth. After getting into a rhythm, Tessa suddenly changed tactics by moving her hips instead in a figure-eight like pattern that made Jem gasp and his eyes pop.

Tessa looked at him steadily. "Well Mr. Carstairs?"

He tried to focus on her face. "Umm…yes?" he asked dumbly, barely able to concentrate on anything except the intense pleasure she was giving him.

She smiled again, stroking his hair as she continued driving Jem deeper and deeper inside of her. "Do I have your word to remain silent on the issue of my lacking undergarments?"

She chose this moment to speed up her movements so that Jem's pulsing cock was pounding into her. Tessa began to moan with Jem as the feelings began coming to a climax for both. Jem's hands wrapped around Tessa's hips and began moving her body up and down over his member—feeling unable to stop at that point even if the carriage door had swung open to reveal their surprised driver. As he felt Tessa's muscles tighten around him, he finally let go and came inside of her. She cried out as she felt this and as her own orgasm washed over her. Leaning on each other and breathing heavily, Jem managed to gasp, "You have my word Ms. Grey. You have persuaded me."

xx

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the super long break between chapters-my schedule at work has changed and I don't have as much time to write. This chapter is not yet complete but I wanted to post the beginnings of it for anyone who is looking (and of course all the followers-thank you!) I will try to post the rest of the chapter soon ;)**


	10. Chapter 10 The White Dragon Part 2

For the rest of their carriage ride, both Jem and Tessa attempted to straighten their outfits in order to look presentable. Jem's nimble fingers quickly redid Tessa's hair into the simple bun Sophie had created. As he slid the Chinese hair ornament back into place, he whispered "Ni hen piao liang" into her neck which made Tessa smile and flush.

As they neared the White Dragon, Jem also helped Tessa put the finishing touches on her re-application of the red lipstick. They had been careful to clear any traces of this from Jem's lips, though they didn't bother with any other parts of him as no one would be seeing those tonight…

As the carriage pulled up to a stop in front of the entrance, the rain began coming down harder than ever. Fortunately there was a large awning from the drop-off point to the main entrance so that Jem and Tessa were able to make their way inside in a relatively dry fashion. Once inside, Tessa gaped at the beautiful red and gold lobby. Jem was busy at the front desk, checking in his many weapons and talking in a low voice with the man working at the counter. Tessa meanwhile began to walk around the room, her mouth slightly agape at the beautiful lanterns hanging from the ceiling in this room. As she neared the wall opposite Jem though, two large arms were suddenly on either side of her as her back pressed against the red silk wall.

Tessa looked up to find herself staring into the eyes of a huge man—only not quite a man. His eyes were a strange yellow and the pupils were almost slits. She also noticed some strange purplish splotches where his hairline ended. If she had to guess, Tessa would say that this thing trapping her against the wall was in fact a half-demon. She tensed but did not look away from his lusty stare.

"Well what do we have here?" he asked in a low growl. "I've never seen the likes of you 'round here and I know pretty much every China doll that comes into the White Dragon." His face contorted into a snarled grin and he inhaled deeply, drinking in Tessa's scent. She felt herself trying to shrink into the wall as she avoided the hands creeping towards her dress.

Suddenly there was a new hand on the half-demon's sleeve, stopping his progress. With a look of rage and confusion, the thing looked disdainfully down at the hand. However, as his eyes began traveling up the arm of its owner, the look of rage began to fade. Jem had very carefully pulled back enough of his sleeve to reveal his Shadowhunter runes. As the creature finally met Jem's eyes, his hands fell away from the wall surrounding Tessa and he straightened up.

"Ke Jian Ming!" he said in surprise. "I did not think to see you in the White Dragon. Though your friend is frequently here, losing money just as often as he wins it!" His laugh roared through the lobby as he patted Jem's shoulder in a rough way.

Jem's expression did not waver from his stone-cold stare at the demon. "Shoah Yin. I can't say it's a pleasure to see you." The demon's laugh faltered. "Though I am here with my companion," at this he pulled Tessa away from the wall and toward himself, "in order to find Master Herondale."

The demon's eyes narrowed and Jem's grip around Tessa's waist tightened as he saw the creature look momentarily put off by the news that Tessa was not fair game. He hesitated for a moment then gestured towards the door. "Last I saw of your friend, he was losing at cards."

Jem nodded and began to turn away, moving Tessa with him towards the door.

"Ming!" the demon barked. Jem turned his head but continued to move forward. "Madame Yoaoh is in tonight. Best mind your manners before you yank him from the game."

Jem turned back around and swore briefly in Mandarin under his breath. Tessa glanced at him but was quickly distracted by the next room that they entered. As opposed to the brightness of the lobby, this main room was dark and smoke-filled. Tessa could see gambling tables of all sorts in every direction and several bars were set up throughout the enormous room.

"Stay by my side," Jem murmured as they began to travel through the room, scanning for any sign of Will. Tessa felt distracted by the many strange creatures that frequented the White Dragon. From deformed half-demons to warlocks with various skin tones, she had never seen so many creatures gathered in one place. Based on the largeness of the room Tessa quickly assessed, "I think we shall have to split up Jem." After a few moments debating this, Jem finally acquissed and the pair began moving in opposite directions searching for Will.

As Tessa wound her way around tables, her eyes were suddenly distracted by something else entirely—a petite Asian woman wearing a beautiful purple kimono was standing near one of the gambling tables. Her dress was cut so short that there was little left to the imagination. The dress was also very open at the top, exposing her extremely busty figure which was magnified by a black corset-like piece on the outside of her outfit. The woman seemed to be staring very intently at a particular game nearby and Tessa followed her gaze to a small table of players where the back of one familiar black-haired player sat holding a hand of cards and an almost-empty glass.

Tessa strode over to Will and was just about to begin dragging him out of the chair when a strong arm slipped around her waist and an empty glass was shoved into the air. "Get me another gin and tonic would you love?" Will asked without looking up at Tessa. The other players at the table grinned at her. One of them leered, "Never seen the likes of you 'round here! Are you new then girl?"

At this Will's gaze traveled up to Tessa's face which was full of indignation and bewilderment. His hand tightened around her waist and he dropped his glass in shock. "Tessa!" he managed to choke out. "What in the world are you doing here?" And as his eyes swept down her outfit. "And by the Angel, what is this outfit you're wearing? Did Madame Yoaoh somehow put you up to this? To distract me from my poker game? Because if she did, it's certainly worki-" Tessa's glaring eyes cut him short.

Tessa managed to delicately clear her throat. "Will," she began in a dignified tone. "Jem and I have come here to take you home. You have been out quite long enough." Some of the other players snickered at this. Will quickly attempted to close this line of conversation. "Now now Tessa! One more game! And this time I want you to play a hand." The other players roared their approval at this while Tessa tried to shake her head.

Suddenly a voice sounded behind them. "What's all this then? It appears that Mister Herondale has a guest with him tonight." Tessa turned her head slightly to see the woman in the short purple kimono was near the card table.

Will's grip on Tessa's hip tightened. "Madame Yoaoh! This is my dear friend Miss Tessa Gray." The woman studied Tessa's face with pursed lips. Then suddenly she smiled.

"But you must play a game Miss Gray! William is one of our best but I think you may have beginner's luck." she smiled in a way that did not reach her eyes. "I insist." Whipping her fan out to the right, a large man suddenly appeared with a chair for Tessa to sit at the card table. He scooted it under her legs until she unceremoniously fell into the seat.

Tessa turned a bewildered face back towards the crowd, her eyes scanning for any sign of Jem. Then she suddenly had an idea. "I haven't any money to bet with!" she declared. "I won't be able to play if I haven't got anything to lose!"

Madame Yoaoh continued to smile down at her. She quickly slipped a beautiful jade bracelet off her wrist and laid it in front of Tessa's place. "This should be worth enough to play against these boys," she said silkily.

Tessa was about to protest when she felt a slight squeeze on her knee coming from Will's direction. She swallowed her words and the cards began to be dealt. Madame Yoaoh lit a long cigarette behind them and watched the game proceed.

Fortunately Tessa had played poker with her brother Nate in the past so she at least understood the basics of the game. Holding her five cards, Tessa was surprised to see that she had been dealt a pretty good hand to begin. With Madame Yoaoh's attention fixed on them, a small crowd has started to gather around the table. Jem picked up on this and made his way through the throng based on the hunch that Will would be at the center of an attention-grabbing crowd. What he did not expect to see, however was Tessa sitting at a card table and playing poker against the likes of the White Dragon. What worried Jem beyond Tessa's potential corruption in this place however was the way that many of the others in the club had noticed Tessa. He swore to himself in Mandarin for letting her come with him to this place. Catching Will's eye was his best hope now for getting all of them out of there safely.

As Tessa scrutinized her cards, she could sense many people gathering around their table. However the only eyes she felt on her was the intense gaze from Madame Yoaoh. She found herself wondering if this woman had had any relations with Will in the past. She certainly didn't seem pleased to meet Tessa…

"You going to discard any there love?" A gruff voice brought Tessa back to attention. She quickly put down two cards and was dealt two replacements. Her hand improved again. Perhaps she could win this round and then insist on leaving so as not to impose on her "beginner's luck."

After the other players had put forth their bets, everyone laid down their cards. Tessa was the last to put hers down and the table immediately erupted in cheers as it was clear she had won. Will shouted in joy next to her and Tessa couldn't help but smile shyly. Suddenly she felt fingers dig into her shoulders. The room quieted as Madama Yoaoh spoke, the same forced smile on her face. "See, what did I tell you? I knew you would have beginner's luck. Another round perhaps? You know have your winnings to bet with."

Tessa attempted to smile graciously at the club's owner. "Thank you for the offer Madame Yoaoh but I wouldn't want to wear out my beginner's luck with a second game. And we really must be getting William home."

"We…?" began Madame Yoaoh just as Jem moved forward from the crowd and placed his hand on Will's shoulder. Will was busy collecting all of their winnings into his hat and harassing the other players over their loss. No one was really sore though as they rarely had the chance to play such a beautiful woman in their games.

"Ah Ke Jian Ming, I should have expected to find you here collecting your friend. Are you also acquainted with Miss Gray then?" she finished quietly but with a venom to her tone.

Jem looked her in the eye. "Yes Miss Gray is a friend of both myself and Will. We really must all be going now though. Will is expected back at the Institute."

"Of course," Madame Yoaoh finally loosened her grip on Tessa's shoulder. "Such a pleasure to meet you Miss Gray. Please do take care of that bracelet."

Jem was busy hauling Will away from the card table as he continued to shout jeers at the other players. The jade bracelet sat in front of Tessa's place at the table and she quickly put it on her wrist to show Madame Yoaoh that they meant to leave right away with their winnings.

Once they finally managed to wrangle Will into the carriage waiting outside, he made a quick comment about the smell of Tessa in the upholstery before promptly passing out. Tessa glanced at Jem and blushed. As the carriage pulled away, she toyed with the bracelet on her wrist, wondering about its possibilities...


	11. Chapter 11 A Lesson in Runes

The morning after dragging Will from the White Dragon started as a quiet one in the Institute. Charlotte was out attending to some Council business while Henry was tinkering away in the basement. Tessa found herself in the library by very early afternoon, determined to have a productive day by studying the runes in the Gray Book.

She had just settled herself in front of the fire with the text when the door cracked open and Will backed into the room with a large tea tray in his arms. Tessa was a little annoyed to see him as he had been so difficult to get out of the club and into the carriage the previous night.

Upon turning into the room, Will noticed Tessa glaring at him from/the couch and gave her an innocent look by raising his eyebrows and enlarging his eyes. Tessa barely restrained herself from rolling her own. Will gently set the large tea service down on the table in front of the couch.

"Though I'd find you in here," he said as he finished turning the service tray around. "Please take this as a peace offering for your services last night." He smiled sweetly but Tessa continued to glare. She would not forgive him so easily...though the tea did smell quite good. Will poured himself a cup and walked toward the back of the library, seating himself at the large mahogany desk with the drink. After a few moments, Tessa also poured herself a cup. The tea was a nice break from her studying. She sighed as she fell back into the couch and again resigned herself to studying the runes.

Will carefully replaced his empty teacup to its saucer. "What are you working on this afternoon?" he asked casually.

"Still trying to learn these runes," Tessa responded.

"Ah," said Will. "That is something that I could help with. Bring your book here and I will help test your knowledge."

Tessa was still annoyed with Will, but his idea was a good one and she needed more help learning the runes. She sighed and brought the book to the desk so that Will could help her study. Placing the book on the mahogany surface, she looked quizzickly at him to see how they should proceed. Will smiled broadly and patted his lap as a place for her to sit. Tessa rolled her eyes but felt herself smile too. _Maybe studying will be fun, _she thought as she took her place in Will's lap.

Will quickly put his arms around Tessa's waist and reached for the book. She felt her cheeks warm as his face brushed her neck. "Now let's have a look at this, shall we?" he purred in her ear. Will proceded to flip to various pages in the book and then Tessa would try to recall their names and purposes. By explaining their varying patterns, Will was able to shed some insight that helped Tessa to make stronger connections between their shape and intention. Still, she struggled to remember so many symbols.

"Perhaps," said Will, genetly closing the book, "It would help you to see the runes on living flesh."

Tessa turned her head slightly to see Will's face-it was a mixed sight as he tried both to look as though this were an innocent question while there was clearly mischief in his eyes.

"Oh?" she said, mirroring his expression. "And who would we use in order to look at these runes?"

At this, Will's demeanor broke and the mischiveous look overtook all of his features. "Well I do have a few on my own body if you'd care to use me as a study aid?"

Tessa shifted on Will's lap in order to better see him. Several of the top buttons of his shirt were already undone as usual. She reached for the lower buttons. "Yes," she said slowly, "as a study aid."

Her fingers made quick work of the rest of his buttons and he was soon barechested in the chair. As always, Tessa found herself absorbed in the beauty of his body and the intricate dark runes running across his muscles. Unintentionally she began tracing one of the runes on his forearm, lost in the beauty of his skin. Will smiled as he watched her. Clearing his throat he said, "Well what is that rune for dear Tessa?"

Her fingers stopped tracing and she looked up in surprise. She had completely forgotten their original purpose of her studies. "Umm," she started, trying to get her concentration back. Will smiled in his dazzling way again and Tessa quickly looked back to the rune on his arm to avoid those bright blue eyes. Forcing herself to concentrate, she studied the rune. "This one must be for Strength because of it's placement." She pointed to one above it, "And this one is for Healing because it is starting to fade and is from that demon that you and Jem dispatched a week ago." Will smiled at the memory. "Ah yes," he reminisced. "that one was a nasty bugger."

Tessa continued her route up Will's arm, correctly identifying the many runes on him. As her fingers began their trail across his chest, she paused at the rune over his heart-the exact same rune as the one over Jem's heart. "This one," she sighed "this one is my favorite." She smiled at him and placed her whole hand over the rune. Will seemed to sense that she was thinking of his connection with his _parabati _and he smiled too at this unique love the three of them were able to share.

Overcome with the passion he felt for both Tessa and Jem, he suddenly gripped Tessa's waist and hoisted her onto the desk. She looked surprised for a moment, but quickly reached into his hair to pull his mouth to hers. As her boots had come to rest on the desktop, her skirts slid down to her waist, exposing her white stockings. Will's hand slid over the silk and he let out a soft moan as he discovered their length ended at her thigh, allowing him easy access to the soft skin above.

They could both sense the urgency in one another, and Tessa worked quickly to undo the front of Will's pants. His member sprang forth easily and Tessa moved to the edge of the desk, pushing aside the fabric of her drawers in her eagerness to let him in. Will obliged and together they let out moans of satisfaction as they finally united.

Will pulled back on Tessa's hair in order to expose her neck. He sucked and nipped at the delicate flesh there while Tessa did her best to stay upright under the intense pleasure of Will's thrusts. Her arms felt too weak to support her much longer.

Just as she felt the beginnings of their shaking though, Will placed her feet on the ground facing the desk. She thankfully leaned forward over the large mahogany surface to rest her arms and Will pushed the fabric of her skirt aside to reveal blue ribbons holding up her stockings. He bit his lip in anticipation. Pulling her undergarments down to her ankles, Will continued with his eager thrusts into Tessa. She moaned loudly in response which only drove him harder.

Gripping both sides of her hips, Will gave himself over to the ripples of pleasure going throughout his body. A gasp from Tessa made him loosen his grip, afraid of hurting her. Tess slightly shook her head, "No Will," she breathed. "Harder!"

Will bit his lip again as his grip tightened and his pounding into her intensified to a speed that quickly put them both over the edge. As Will spent his final pump into Tessa, both breathed out for a long moment, trying to catch their breath from the last feverish moments. Once Will had caught his, he gently carried Tessa back over to the couch and laid her onto it. Her head came to rest in his lap and the two simply stared at one another in a hazy happiness.

"You were right Will," said Tessa lazily. "It was much easier to study the runes on a living person. It's one of the few times I've preferred studying with someone over a book." He smiled at this. "You know," he began suggestively, "I have runes on more parts of my body than just my chest and arms…" Tessa laughed and playfully punched his arm. "You two never relent do you?" she said laughing. Will's smile broadened. "Well we are two vigorous young men competing for the hand of a beautiful lady," he said. "Though this competition seems to have brought us all closer together," he ended quietly. Tessa shut her eyes as she pondered his words-it didn't _feel_ like a competition anymore; it felt more like this was the way it was always supposed to be. _Could I have them both?_ she pondered before falling into a gentle sleep.


End file.
